Back lit mirror with media display device

ABSTRACT

A combination mirror and media display device assembly is provided. The combination mirror and media display device includes a mirror platform having a media display device viewing area and a media display device coupled to the mirror platform. The media display device is positioned to display images through the media display device viewing area.

CROSS-REFERENCE(S) TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/739,156, filed Nov. 23, 2005; U.S. Provisional Application No.60/739,399, filed Nov. 23, 2005; and U.S. Provisional Application No.60/794,209, filed Apr. 21, 2006, the disclosures of which are allexpressly incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Currently available mirror and television devices typically include atelevision mounted to the back of a mirror. This arrangement is aconvenient space saving device as it embeds a television in the existingspace occupied by a mirror. Although available, these devices typicallysuffer from either poor transmissivity or reflectivity.

The transmissivity and reflectivity of a mirror are roughly inverselyrelated. That is, a mirror with high transmissivity generally has lowreflectivity, and a mirror with high reflectivity generally has lowtransmissivity. As a result, a mirror with high transmissivity willallow more light from a television located behind the mirror to passthrough the mirror, resulting in better viewing of the image displayedon the television. However, such a mirror will also have a relativelylow reflectivity, resulting in a lower quality reflection in the mirror.

In addition to the presenting the difficulty of balancing televisionimage quality with the reflection quality, current mirror/televisioncombinations do not provide additional sources of illumination, such asback lighting. This results in the need for separate light fixtures inaddition to the mirror/television combination, which can causeadditional installation costs and unsightly clutter.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This summary is not intended to identify key features ofthe claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid indetermining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

A combination mirror and media display device assembly is provided. Thecombination mirror and media display device includes a mirror platformhaving a media display device viewing area and a media display devicecoupled to the mirror platform. The media display device is positionedto display images through the media display device viewing area.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of thisinvention will become better understood by reference to the followingdetailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a representative mirror/media displaydevice assembly constructed in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an exploded front isometric view of the mirror/media displaydevice assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded rear isometric view of the mirror/media displaydevice assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the mirror/media display deviceassembly of FIG. 1 constructed in accordance with a first embodiment ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a mirror/media display deviceassembly constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a mirror/media display deviceassembly constructed in accordance with a third embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a mirror/media display deviceassembly constructed in accordance with a fourth embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a previously known media display devicewith an external power adapter; and

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the media display device of amirror/media display device assembly, showing the media display devicehaving power adapter constructed in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A mirror/media display device assembly 100 constructed in accordancewith one embodiment of the present disclosure may be best understood byreferring to FIGS. 1-4. The mirror/media display device assembly 100includes a framed or frameless mirror platform 102 attached to a chassis140. The mirror platform 102 includes a substantially reflective surface132, one or more translucent back lit portions 130, and a media displaydevice viewing portion 128, through which a media display device 120located behind the mirror platform 102 can be viewed. The chassis 140includes edge sections 142 arranged to form a perimeter (i.e.,periphery) of the chassis 140. The edge sections 142 include one or moreapertures 148. Although the chassis 140 is described as includingapertures 148, it should be apparent that chassis 140 without apertures148 are also within the scope of the present disclosure. Light emanatingfrom the assembly 100 is illustrated schematically by reference numeral134.

The one or more back lit portions 130 located on the mirror platform 102have substantially no reflectivity (e.g., frosted glass, acid etchedglass or clear glass). These back lit portions 130 are translucent,allowing light emitted from one or more light sources 122 disposedwithin the mirror/media display device assembly 100 to pass through themirror platform 102. The number, configuration, and arrangement of backlit portions 130 can be varied to achieve different lighting effects. Asa non-limiting example, the back lit portion 130 is configured as asingle, continuous portion extending around the perimeter of the mirrorplatform 102.

Light radiated from the light source 122 radiates through the pluralityof apertures 148 to illuminate the surroundings of the mirror/mediadisplay device assembly 100. Illuminating the surroundings, such as thewall on which the mirror/media display device assembly 100 is mounted,creates a back lighting effect. The number and location of the aperturescan be varied to achieve the desired visual atmosphere. For example,each side of the chassis includes a single aperture that extends alongthe length of the side of the chassis. In another embodiment, thechassis includes a single aperture that extends along the length of thelower edge of the chassis, illuminating a sink or countertop above whichthe mirror/media display device assembly 100 is mounted.

The apertures 148 of the chassis 140 can be optionally covered by atransparent or translucent material (e.g., a plastic strip). In additionto helping to prevent dirt and moisture from entering the mirror/mediadisplay device assembly 100, the material can be colored so that lightradiated through the apertures 148 creates a desired visual effect.

In another embodiment, back lighting is provided by radiating lightthrough the back lit portions 130 of the mirror platform 102. As notedabove, the back lit portions 130 include translucent areas havingsubstantially no reflectivity or could be partially reflective. The lowreflectivity allows light from the light source 122 to pass through themirror, illuminating the back lit portions 130 of the mirror platform102. The number and shape of the back lit portions 130 can be varied toprovide desired visual effects.

The media display device 120 is mounted within the mirror/media displaydevice assembly 100 so that the screen of the media display device 120aligns with the media display device viewing area 128 of the mirrorplatform 102. The term “media display device” should be understood toinclude any media display device suitable for receiving televisionsignals, computer signals, VGA connections, digital signals, etc., anddisplaying a corresponding image.

The media display device 120 includes a well-known indicator light 136and infrared sensor 138. The indicator light 136 provides a signalindicating whether the media display device is “powered on” or “poweredoff.” The infrared sensor 138 provides a remote communication port withthe media display device 120. The indicator light 136 and infraredsensor 138 are suitably located on a forward face of the media displaydevice housing.

When the media display device is installed, the infrared sensor 138 andindicator light 136 each aligns with a part the mirror platform 102having little or no reflectivity. The reduced reflectivity makes theindicator light more readily visible from the front side of the mirrorplatform 102 and also allows the infrared signal from a remote controlto pass through the mirror platform 102.

In one embodiment, the media display device 120 is attached to themirror/media display device assembly 100 by a suitably shaped andconfigured mounting bracket (not shown). The media display device 120can be attached to the mounting bracket with removable fasteners, suchas screws and magnets. The mounting bracket is open on one side,typically the top or bottom so that it does not interfere withaudio/video connections of the media display device 120. One version ofthe mounting bracket allows the media display device 120 to slide infrom the bottom and snap into place without being mechanically fastened.

For circumstances in which the mirror/media display device assembly 100cannot be easily removed from a wall, an access area (not shown) can beprovided through the bottom of the chassis 140. The access area allows auser to reach up behind the mirror platform 102 and remove the mediadisplay device 120 for repair or replacement. In a like manner, themedia display device 120 can be easily remounted through the accessarea.

Referring to FIG. 2, the chassis 140 includes a central opening 166sized for a direct connection of an external electrical cable 160 to aterminal block 158 which, in turn, is in electrical communication withan electrical ballast 156. The connection at the terminal block 158 iscovered with a metal box to provide an isolated electrical connectionand thereby eliminate the need for an external electrical box. A furtheropening or openings are provided to accommodate a power receptacle andaudio and video connections. As an alternative electrical connection thelighting components could be plugged into a receptacle. The chassis 140is suitably manufactured from a variety of materials including, metal,wood, fiberglass, and various polymers. Polymers and other materials canoptionally be transparent or translucent.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the mirror platform 102 includes a rear surface126 having flanges 152. The flanges 152 include slots for receivinghanging pins 154, which are attached to a the back surface 146 of thechassis 140 (see FIG. 2), to removably couple the mirror platform to thechassis 140. It should be appreciated that the mirror platform can becoupled to the chassis through any of a variety of suitable methods,including temporary fasteners, permanent fasteners, adhesives, etc.

FIG. 4 illustrates a mirror/media display device assembly 100 having amirror platform 400 constructed in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent disclosure. The mirror platform 400 includes a glass layer 404,a reflective layer 406, and backing layer 408. For ease of descriptionand clarity, such a mirror platform 400 is referred to as a“transmissive mirror.”

The transmissive mirror includes a front surface 424 and a rear surface426. The reflective layer 406 provides a partial reflectivity to thetransmissive mirror and is suitably formed by a reflective film, asputter coating, or any other type of suitable reflective material. Thereflective layer 406 is both reflective and transmissive. While thereflective layer 406 is shown on the rear surface 426 of thetransmissive mirror, it can also be located on the front surface 424 orboth the front and rear surfaces 424 and 426 of the transmissive mirror.The transmissive mirror is partially transmissive, preferably having atransmissivity of about 50%, although mirrors having transmissivitybetween about 30% and about 70% are within the scope of this embodiment.

Still referring to FIG. 4, the backing layer 408 is selectively disposedon the rear surface 426 of the transmissive mirror. The backing layer408 increases the reflectivity of the mirror platform 400 in areas towhich it is applied. Because of the increased reflectivity, these areasprovide a better reflection, which is closer to that of a standardmirror, than do the portions of the transmissive mirror to which thereflective backing is not applied.

The backing layer 408 is not applied to the transmissive mirror in themedia display device viewing area 428. As a result, while the mediadisplay device viewing area 428 has some reflectivity due to thereflectivity of the transmissive mirror, the media display deviceviewing area 428 has less reflectivity than the areas of thetransmissive mirror to which the backing layer 408 has been applied. Thereduced reflectivity in the media display device viewing area 428 causesless glare and consequently results in a clearer view of the imagesdisplayed on the media display device.

It should be appreciated, however, that when the media display device120 is turned off, the substantially black media display device screenlocated behind the media display device viewing area 428 will change thelight ratio between the front and back of the mirror; thereby, allowingtransmissive mirror to operate at its maximum reflectivity. Accordingly,the reflection from the media display device viewing area 428 will moreclosely match that of the rest of the transmissive mirror, causing themedia display device viewing area 428 to blend in with the rest of thetransmissive mirror.

The backing layer 408 is suitably formed from a reflective film, sputtercoating, silvering, or any other material that enhances reflectivitywhen applied to a surface 426. Depending on the material used, a varietyof suitable techniques can be used to selectively apply the reflectivebacking, including masking areas in which the reflective backing is notto be applied, using computer controlled applicators, or applying thebacking to the entire transmissive mirror and then selectively removingit.

The transmissive mirror also includes first and second back lit portions430 and 432. The back lit portions 430 and 432 are suitably formed onthe transmissive mirror by different methods. As previously described,the back lit portions are at least partially translucent, having lowerreflectivity and/or higher transmissivity than the rest of thetransmissive mirror. Accordingly, back lit portions 430, 432 can beformed by decreasing the reflectivity of the back lit portion relativeto the rest of the transmissive mirror.

A first back lit portion 430 formed on the mirror platform 400 issimilar in construction to the media display device viewing area 428.The first back lit portion 430 is defined by an area where the backinglayer 408 is not present. As previously discussed with regard to themedia display device viewing area, the first back lit portion 430 can beformed by the selective application of the backing layer 408, duringwhich the backing layer 408 is not applied to the first back litportion, or the selective removal of the reflective backing after it hasbeen applied to the first back lit portion. The backing layer 408 may beremoved from the first back lit portion by any suitable method,including acid etching, and an acid dip prior to which areas of thereflective backing that are to remain are masked. A film simulating a“frosted” effect may be placed on the backside of reflective layer 406.

When light from a light source 422 is irradiated on the rear surface ofthe mirror platform 400, the portions of the transmissive mirror towhich the backing layer 408 has been applied to reflect the light backfrom the rear surface 426 of the transmissive mirror and consequently,substantially none of the light passes through the transmissive mirrorto illuminate the front surface 424 mirror platform 400. In contrast,when light from the light source 422 strikes a portion of thetransmissive mirror without backing layer 408, at least part of thelight travels through the transmissive mirror, thereby illuminating theback lit portion 430 of the mirror platform 400. When the light source422 is in an “off” state, the back lit portion 430 reverts back tohaving the reflectivity of a standard mirror.

A second back lit portion 432 is provided on the mirror platform 400.The second back lit portion 432 is similar to the first back lit portion430 except that, in addition to the backing layer 408, some or all ofthe reflective layer 406 of the transmissive mirror is also removed inthe area of the second back lit portion 432. Consequently, when lightfrom the light source 422 is irradiated onto the rear surface 426 of themirror platform 400 at a second back lit portion 432, at least some ofthe light is transmitted through the transmissive mirror to illuminatethe front surface of the mirror platform 400 at the second back litportion 432.

Further, because at least some of the reflective layer 406 of thetransmissive mirror has been removed, a greater percentage of light fromthe light source 422 will pass through the second back lit portion 432than will pass through the first back lit portion 430. It should beappreciated that any suitable number of back lit portions, such asthree, four, five, six, etc., can be formed on the platform assembly 400and, therefore, are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

The reflective layer 406 and the backing layer 408 may be removed fromthe second back lit portion by any suitable method, including sandblasting, acid etching, and an acid dip. Areas of the reflective layer406 and backing layer 408 that are to remain are masked prior to removaltreatment. Sandblasting, is particularly effective for providing a“frosted” effect in the back lit portion 432. A protective coating maybe applied to the sand blasted areas of the glass to allow the sandblasted areas to be more easily cleaned and prohibit staining fromfinger prints, dirt, etc. This could occur for sand blasting on thefront or back surface of the mirror.

In addition, the resist used to mask off the mirror for sandblasting mayalso be used as a safety back material. Typically, the resist is removedfrom the mirror after it has been sand blasted. In this case the resistwould be left on and act as a safety backing. The resist may be laid onthe back of the mirror and cut by a laser or other method or may beplotted and then placed on the back of the mirror.

Areas of the backing layer 408 and/or the reflective layer 406 of thetransmissive mirror can also be selectively removed to provide areas oflower reflectivity to accommodate an indicator light 136 or an infraredsensor 138 (see FIG. 1).

FIG. 5 illustrates a mirror/media display device assembly 100 having amirror platform 500 constructed in accordance with a second embodimentof the present disclosure. The mirror platform 500 is substantiallyidentical in construction, material and operation as the mirror platform400 described above with the following exceptions.

The mirror platform 500 includes a glass layer 504 and a backing layer506, and also includes a front surface 524 and a rear surface 526. Therear surface 526 of the backing layer 506 is typically painted with aprotective paint. For ease of description and clarity, the mirrorplatform 500 is referred to as a “standard mirror.”

The standard mirror provides substantially no transmissivity, whilereflecting almost all incident light. Commercially available standardmirrors, which are suitable for use with this embodiment, typically havea reflectivity of about 98%, which provides a very good reflection inthe mirror portion of the mirror platform 500. However, it should beappreciated that a mirror having a lower reflectivity than a standardmirror can be used within the scope of this embodiment. Further, while astandard mirror usually has a backing layer 506 located on the rearsurface 526 of the mirror, a standard mirror with a reflective materiallocated on the front surface 524 of the mirror can also be used.

The mirror platform 500 also includes a media display device viewingarea 528. The media display device viewing area 528 is formed by an areathat has been made non-reflective by selectively removing the backinglayer 506 from the glass layer 504. A preferred method for selectivelyremoving the reflective backing includes isolating the area by applyingtape, printed ink or a similar item to the back of the standard mirroraround the area from which the reflective backing is to be removed.Paint remover or a similar solvent is then applied to the rear surface528, and paint is removed with a scraping device such as a razor blade.

The area is then washed with water or other suitable material to removethe paint and expose the backing layer 506 of the standard mirror. Asharp instrument is used to define the outer perimeter of the mediadisplay device viewing area 528, and an etching solution, such as Ferricchloride (FEC13), printed circuit board etching solution, or a similarmaterial is applied to the exposed backing layer 506. After the solutionsits for a suitable length of time, the solution is wiped away, whichremoves the backing layer 506, leaving only the glass layer 504. In analternative embodiment, the media display device viewing area 528 ismasked off on a piece of glass, and backing layer 506 is added to theglass layer 504.

After the backing layer 506 has been removed, the media display deviceviewing area 528 is close to 100% transmissive. Accordingly, when themedia display device 520 is aligned with the media display deviceviewing area 528, the light from the media display device is transmittedthrough the glass layer 504 with minimal loss, making the images on themedia display device screen readily visible from the front of the mirrorplatform 500.

In addition to the media display device viewing area 528, the backinglayer 506 can also be removed from locations on the mirror platform 500corresponding to an indicator light 136 or an infrared sensor 138 (seeFIG. 1).

A back lit portion 530 of the mirror platform 500 allows light from alight source 522 located behind the rear surface 526 to pass through toilluminate a portion of the front surface 524 of the mirror platform500. Back lit portions 530 are at least partially translucent and can beformed using the same processes employed to create the media displaydevice viewing area 528. Alternately, sand blasting, chemical etching,dipping in a chemical bath, or treatment in any other manner previouslydisclosed, are also within the scope of the present disclosure to formback lit portions. A clear backing film may be added to the back side ofthe mirror to create safety mirror while at the same time allowing forlight and display image to shine through.

FIG. 6 illustrates a mirror/media display device assembly 100 having amirror platform 600 constructed in accordance with yet anotherembodiment of the present disclosure. The mirror platform 600 issubstantially identical in construction, material and operation as themirror platforms described above with the following exceptions.

The mirror platform 600 includes a glass layer 604 and a reflectivelayer 606. The reflective layer 606 is selectively removed from the rearsurface 626 of the mirror platform 600 to form a media display deviceviewing area 628. Light emitted from the media display device 620 passesthrough the front surface 624 of the glass layer 604, making the imagesfrom the media display device 620 visible from the front surface of themirror platform 600.

The mirror platform 600 also includes a polarized film 632. Thepolarized film 632 is disposed between the media display device 620 andthe glass layer 604. The media display device 620 emits polarized light,approximately 100% of which is selectively allowed to pass through thepolarized film 632. One example of suitable media display device is anLCD media display device, which is known to emit polarized light. Thelight passes through the polarized film 632 and the glass layer 604,allowing the media display device images to be viewed from the front ofthe mirror platform 600.

The polarized film 632 is reflective when the media display device isoff, resulting in an increased reflectivity in the media display deviceviewing area. As a result, the media display device viewing area 628 ofthe mirror platform 600 blends into the surrounding mirror, making itless noticeable when the media display device is in an “off” state.

The polarized film 632 is preferably attached directly to the glasslayer 604 of the mirror platform 600. Attaching the polarized film 632in this manner places the film in substantially the same plane as thebacking layer 606, thereby minimizing the difference between theappearance of the standard mirror portion and the media display deviceviewing portion. Alternately, the polarized film 632 can be mounted on aseparate piece of glass, which is then disposed between the mediadisplay device 620 and the glass layer 604. As an alternative to thepolarized film 632, a transmissive mirror may be used.

The mirror platform 600 may also include one or more back lit portions630. The back lit portions 630 are at least partially translucent andcan be formed using any previously disclosed method suitable for formingthe back lit portions 530.

FIG. 7 illustrates a mirror/media display device assembly 100 having amirror platform 700 constructed in accordance with still yet anotherembodiment of the present disclosure. The mirror platform [700] issubstantially identical in construction, material and operation as themirror platforms described above with the following exceptions.

The mirror platform 700 includes a glass layer 704 and a reflectivelayer 706. The mirror platform 700 also includes a front surface 724 anda rear surface 726. The reflective layer 706, which is not completelyopaque, is affixed to one or both sides of the glass layer 704. Thereflective layer 706 gives the mirror platform 700 a high reflectivity.In addition, the reflective coating imparts a low transmissivity,typically in the range of about 10% to about 25%.

The media display device 720 is a high brightness media display device,having a brightness in the range of about 500 to about 2000 nits. Thelow transmissivity of the mirror platform 700 prevents transmission ofabout 75% to 90% of the light emitted from the media display device 720.The remaining 10% to 25% of the emitted light passes through the glasslayer 704 and can be viewed from the front of the mirror platform 700.Standard media display devices typically operate in a range of about 300to 500 nits of brightness. Accordingly the brightness of the mediadisplay device 720 and the transmissivity of the mirror platform 700 canbe chosen to provide a desired image brightness.

For example, a transparent mirror with a transmissivity of [25]% can bepaired with a media display device having about 2000 nits of brightness,resulting in an image viewed from the front side of the mirror platform700 with a brightness of about 500 nits. The operating environment canalso influence the selection of the transmissivity of the transparentmirror and the brightness of the media display device.

The quality of the reflection from the mirror platform 700 can beimproved by applying a backing layer 740 to the rear surface 726 inlocations other than the media display device viewing area 728 or a backlit portion 730. The backing layer 740 is preferably black, and may alsoact as a safety backing, and reduces the transmissivity of the mirror,thereby improving the quality of the reflection in those areas of themirror to which the black backing is applied. Further, the media displaydevice 720 has a generally black screen when turned off, increasing thereflectiveness of the mirror in the media display device viewing area728. As a result, the quality of the reflection in the media displaydevice viewing area is improved when the media display device is in a“off” state.

The mirror platform 700 may also include one or more back lit portions730. The back lit portion 730 is formed by selectively removing thereflective layer 706 from the glass layer 704. Sandblasting ispreferably used, but any suitable method can be used, including chemicaletching, chemical bath, or abrasion. The back lit portions 730 are atleast partially translucent and allow more light to pass through than dothe portions of the mirror platform 700 from which the reflectivecoating has not been selectively removed. As a result, light from alight source 722 located behind the mirror platform 700 passes throughthe glass layer 704, illuminating the back lit portion 730.

As may be best seen by referring to FIG. 9, it is preferred that themedia display device 120 has a thin profile, such as about one inch orless. Such a thin profile minimizes the distance that the mirror/mediadisplay device assembly 100 extends from a wall to which it is mounted.In general, the overall thickness of the mirror/media display deviceassembly 100 is less than about two and one-quarter inches and, in someembodiments, as thin as one and one-quarter inches, or less.

To assist in achieving the desired thin profile, the media displaydevice 120 is configured so that audio and visual connection components(such as the audio wire, RF cable, S-video cable, power cable) comedirectly out the top or in some cases, the bottom of the housing of themedia display device 120 rather than from the rear of the media displaydevice 120. To further decrease the space required to house the mediadisplay device 120, the disclosed media display device has an integral,low-profile power adapter 900 that fits within the thin (e.g., one inch)media display device housing.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, known media display device units that are lessthan two inches in thickness have large, external power adapters 800that take up considerable space. The added thickness of the poweradapter 800 often requires a wall recess behind the mirror/media displaydevice assembly. FIG. 9 illustrates an integral, low-profile poweradapter 900 constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

The power adapter 900 is contained in the housing of a media displaydevice 120. One example of a suitable low-profile power adapter is ModelNo. TR36A -12, manufactured by Cincon Electronics Co. LTD. Making thelow-profile power adapter 900 integral to the media display device alsosimplifies assembly by reducing the number of parts to be assembled.

While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, itwill be appreciated that various changes can be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A combination mirror and media display device assembly, comprising:(a) a mirror platform having a media display device viewing area; and(b) a media display device coupled to the mirror platform and positionedto display images through the media display device viewing area.